LESSON

Distance in the
14.1
COMMON
CORE 6.NS.8
Solve...problems by graphing
points....Include use of
Coordinate Plane coordinates and absolute
value to find distances
between points... Also
6.NS.6b

? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can you use absolute value to find the distance between
two points with the same x- or y-coordinates?

EXPLORE ACTIVITY 1
COMMON
CORE 6.NS.6b

Reflecting in the Coordinate Plane

A point on a coordinate plane can be reflected across an axis. The reflection Hold your paper
is located on the opposite side of the axis, at the same distance from up to the light if
the axis. necessary to see
the reflection.
Draw a coordinate plane on graph paper. Label both axes from −10 to 10.
A Graph (3, −2). Then fold your coordinate plane along the y-axis and
find the reflection of (3, −2). Record the coordinates of the new point
in the table.
B Unfold your coordinate plane. Then fold it Reflected across Reflected across
Point
along the x-axis and find the reflection of y-axis x-axis
(3, −2). Record the coordinates of the new (3, −2)
point in the table.
C Choose three additional points and
repeat A and B .

Reflect
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1. What is the relationship between the coordinates of a point and the

coordinates of its reflection across each axis?

2. Conjecture A point is reflected across the y-axis. Then the reflected

point is reflected across the x-axis. How will the coordinates of the final
point be related to the coordinates of the original point?

Lesson 14.1 401

 Finding Distances in the
Coordinate Plane
You can also use absolute values to find distances between two points that
Math On the Spot have the same x-coordinates or the same y-coordinates on a coordinate plane.
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EXAMPLE 1 COMMON
CORE 6.NS.6b

Find each distance. y

A What is the distance between point A

and point B? A (4, 3)
2
STEP 1 Find the distance between x
point A and the x-axis. -2 O 2
-2
The y-coordinate is 3, so B (4, -2)
point A is |3| units from
the x-axis. D (-5, -4) C (-1, -4)
Math Talk
Mathematical Practices
STEP 2 Find the distance between
How is the distance between point B and the x-axis.
a point and its reflection
across an axis related to the
distance between the The y-coordinate of B is −2, so point B is |−2| = 2 units from
point and the axis? the x-axis.
Explain.
STEP 3 Find the sum of the distances.

Distance from A to B = |3| + |−2| = 3 + 2 = 5 units.

B What is the distance between point D and point C?
STEP 1 Find the distance between point D and the y-axis.
Point D is |−5| = 5 units from the y-axis.

STEP 2 Find the distance between point C and the y-axis.

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Point C is |−1| = 1 unit from the y-axis.

STEP 3 Find the distance between C and D by finding this

difference:

Distance of D from the y-axis − distance of C from the y-axis

|−5| − |−1| = 4 units

YOUR TURN
Personal
Math Trainer Find the distance between each pair of points.
Online Assessment
and Intervention 3. E(−4, 7) and F(5, 7) 4. G(0, −5) and H(0, −10)
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402 Unit 6
 Solving Distance Problems
You can solve problems using the distance between points on a grid.

EXAMPL 2
EXAMPLE Problem
Solving
COMMON
CORE 6.NS.8 Math On the Spot
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The coordinate plane represents a map. y
Each grid unit represents 20 miles. A retail 80
company has warehouses at M(−70, 10) and
N(50, 10). How long does it take a truck that 40
drives 40 miles per hour to travel from M (-70, 10) N (50, 10)
x
warehouse M to warehouse N? -80 -40 O 40 80
-40
Analyze Information
-80
Identify the important information.
• One warehouse is located at M(−70, 10).
The other is at N(50, 10).
• A truck drives from M to N at a speed of 40 miles per hour.

Formulate a Plan
• Find the distance between M and N by adding the absolute values of
the x-coordinates of the points.
• Find the time it takes the truck to drive this distance by using the
relationship, distance = rate · time.

JJustify
Ju
Solve
ust
stif
tif
ifyy and
and Evaluate
Eval
alua
lua
uatte
Add the absolute values of the x-coordinates to find the distance between
point M and point N on the grid.
|-70| + |50| = 70 + 50 = 120
The warehouses are 120 miles apart.
The truck drives 120 miles at 40 mi/h. Because 120 = 40(3), it takes the
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truck 3 hours to travel from M to N.

Justify and Evaluate

You found the sum of the absolute values of the x-coordinates to find the
horizontal distance on the grid. Then you used distance = rate · time to
find the time it takes to drive that distance.

YOUR TURN
5. A store is located at P(50, -30). How long will it take a truck driving at Personal
50 miles per hour to drive from warehouse N to this store? Math Trainer
Online Assessment
and Intervention
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Lesson 14.1 403

Guided Practice
1. The point (5, −2) is reflected across the x-axis. What are the coordinates of
the reflection? (Explore Activity)

2. The point (−6, 8) is reflected across the y-axis. What are the coordinates of
the reflection? (Explore Activity)

Use the coordinate plane. (Example 1) y

3. The distance between point A and point B is 2

| |+| |= + = units.
-2 O 2 4 6
x

4. The distance between point A and point C is -2 C (1, -3)

| |-| |= − = units.
B (-2, -3) A (5, -3)

5. Plot the reflection of point C across the y-axis.

What is the distance between point C and its reflection?

6. Plot the reflection of point A across the x-axis.

What is the distance of the reflection from the x-axis?

Use the map shown. Each grid on the map represents 1 city block. y
(-2, 4)
(Example 2) 4
Library (3, 4)
7. Yoko walks from the library to the mall. 2 Mall
How many city blocks does she walk?
x
8. If Yoko walks 1 block in 3 minutes, how long does it 4 2 O 2 4
take her to walk from the school to the library? How (-3.5, -3) -2
long does it take her to walk from home to school? Home (-2, -3)

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School
-4

?
? ESSENTIAL QUESTION CHECK-IN

9. How do you use absolute value to find the distance between two points
that have the same x-coordinates but different y-coordinates?

404 Unit 6
 Name Class Date

14.1 Independent Practice Personal

Math Trainer
COMMON Online
CORE 6.NS.6b, 6.NS.8 Assessment and
my.hrw.com Intervention

Use the coordinate plane.

10. Plot the reflection of point A across the x-axis. What are the y
coordinates of the reflection of point A across the x-axis? 4
What is the distance between point A and its reflection?
2
x
11. How can you plot the reflection of point A across the y-axis? -4 -2 O 2 4
Give the coordinates of the reflection across the y-axis, and -2
tell how many units the reflection is from point A. A(1.5, -2.5)
-4

Find the coordinates of each point after the described reflection. Give the
distance between each point and its reflection.

12. R(−5, 8) is reflected across the x-axis.

13. S(−7, −3) is reflected across the y-axis.

14. T(8, 2) is reflected across the x-axis.

15. U(2.4, −1) is reflected across the y-axis

Pedro uses a coordinate system to map the locations of some tourist Historic Village Water Park
locations in a large city. Each grid unit represents one mile. (-4 12_ , 5 14_ ) (0, 5 14_ )
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16. The planetarium, which is not marked on the map, is halfway

between the historic village and the science center. What are
its coordinates?
Science Center Museum
(-4 12_ , -1 34_ ) (2, -1 34_ )
17. Pedro wants to walk from the historic village to the science center.
Then he will walk from the science center to the museum. If he
walks at a speed of 4 _12 miles per hour, how long will it take him?

18. Pedro is staying at a hotel whose location is a reflection across

the x-axis of the museum’s location. What are the coordinates of
the location of Pedro’s hotel?

Lesson 14.1 405

 FOCUS ON HIGHER ORDER THINKING Work Area

19. Communicate Mathematical Ideas Deirdre plotted a point D in

Quadrant IV. After she reflected the point across an axis, the reflection
was in Quadrant III. Give possible coordinates for point D and its
reflection, and tell why you chose these coordinates.

20. Explain the Error Jason plotted the points (4, 4) and (−4, −4) on a
coordinate plane. He says that the distance between the two points is 8
units because |4| + |−4| = 8. What mistake is Jason making?

21. Look for a Pattern A point is reflected over the x-axis and then reflected
again over the y-axis. Will the coordinates after these two reflections be
the same or different if the point is first reflected over the y-axis and then
over the x-axis? Use an example to support your answer.

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22. Explain the Error Bentley states that the distance between R(−8, −3.5)
and S(−8, −12) is |−12| + |−3.5| = 15.5 units. Is Bentley correct? Explain
your answer. If Bentley is not correct, explain how to find the correct
distance between the points.

406 Unit 6